Ethiopian Timket Festival Tours

Day 01 Arrival and Addis Ababa City Tour          

You will meet our staff upon arrival from your international flight and after breakfast, begin your exploration of Addis Ababa with visits to some of the city’s most iconic historical, cultural, and religious sites. The day includes the following highlights:

• Entoto Maryam Church: Located on the Entoto Hills, this is one of the oldest Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo churches, built in 1877 by Emperor Menelik II. The church features traditional Ethiopian architecture with octagonal domes. Inside, you’ll find a collection of royal artifacts, including Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu’s crowns, ceremonial garments, their royal bed, and a mirror gifted to the Empress by Queen Victoria.
• Entoto Hills: At an elevation of 2,900 meters above sea level, the Entoto Hills offer a stunning panoramic view of Addis Ababa. This area, once the capital before the city moved to its current location, holds great historical and spiritual significance.
• Ethnological Museum: Situated within the main campus of Addis Ababa University, this museum is housed in the former palace of Emperor Haile Selassie. It offers a deep insight into Ethiopia’s diverse cultures, with exhibits covering anthropology, music, and traditional life. It is also recognized as the first university museum in Ethiopia.
• National Museum of Ethiopia: One of the most important museums in sub-Saharan Africa, it showcases Ethiopia’s rich archaeological heritage. Here, you will find the world-famous fossil remains of Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis), as well as Selam, a remarkably complete child hominid fossil estimated to be 3.3 million years old.
• Merkato: Conclude your day with a visit to Africa’s largest open-air market. Established during the Italian occupation in the late 1930s, Merkato spans several square miles and hosts over 7,000 businesses. It offers a dynamic experience of the city’s daily life, where you can find everything from spices and textiles to handmade crafts and electronics.

Overnight Aya Addis hotel Addis Ababa

Day 02 Fly Addis Ababa to Axum

This day after breakfast you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Axum. You will be met upon arrival and visit Axum a city more than 2500 years of history, once the center of a great empire and ancient civilization, home of the original Ark of covenants. Axum is the prime historical site in the north of Ethiopia. Take a city tour that includes:-

The Church of Saint Mary of Zion and the religious complex the sanctuary Chapel which is the repository of the ‘Ark of covenant’

The coronation yard, Stele Park

Tomb of Kaleb and his son Gebre Meskel

Ezana’s Inscriptions

Queen of Sheba’s Bath, Queen of Sheba’s palace ruins and Axum Museum

Overnight Sabean Hotel Axum

Day 03 Fly Axum to Bahir Dar via Addis Ababa

This day after breakfast you will be taken to the airport for your connection flight to Bahir Dar. You will be met upon arrival and have

Boat trip on Lake Tana the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source of the Blue Nile River, on arrival we will visit Ura Kidane Mehret, one of the earliest monastic church in the peninsula. It was founded in the 14th century by the saint Betre Mariyam although the present circular church dates from the 16th century. Its interior is decorated with numerous murals painted between 100 and 250 years ago.

Overnight Naky Hotel Bahir Dar

Day 04 Drive Bahir Dar to Gondar

After breakfast you will drive to

Blue Nile Falls known as Tis Abay meaning great smoke it is situated on the upper course of the river about 30 kilometers downstream from the town of Bahir Dar. On arrival make a small trekking loop along the river side to view the water fall at every angle. (Note that the volume of the water could be minimal because of 2003 a hydro-electric station has taken much of the flow out of the falls except during the rainy season. Later drive to Gondar After lunch you will begin your visit to the Royal Capital of Ethiopia. Gondar was founded in 1636 by Emperor Fasiledes

Castle of Gondar Because of its historical importance and architecture, the fortress was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The complex of buildings includes Fasilides’ castle, Iyasu I’s palace, Dawit III’s Hall, Empress Mentewab’s castle, a chancellery and library from Yohannes I, a banqueting hall from the emperor Bakaffa.

Fasiledes Bath is a significant historical and cultural site in Gondar. It’s a square Embattlement pool with a two storied palace situated within and it plays a crucial role in the celebration of Epiphany, the Timkat festival. The compounds walls have been slowly engulfed by the thick slithering roots of ancient badian trees that are now intertwined with the crumbling brickwork.

In the Evening you will attend the Timket eve ceremony called, Ketera (to mean to make a dam in some places where there is no enough river water for the celebration of Timket). During Ketera, the priests take out the Tabots replicas of the original Ark of the Covenant, from each church and take them into to the Timkete Bahir, accompanied with much singing and chanting.

Overnight Haile Resort Gondar

Day 05 Timket ceremony

Today marks the main day of Timket, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Christ’s baptism in the River Jordan. In the early morning, priests bless nearby waters specially prepared reservoirs by dipping a golden processional cross and extinguishing a consecrated candle in it, then sprinkling the holy water on the assembled faithful as a symbolic renewal of baptismal vows. Some devotees even immersion fully clothed into the water. From mid-morning, the Tabots—sacred replicas of the Ark of the Covenant from each church begin their procession back to their home churches. All tabots except the one from St. Michael’s Church return the next day. Later you will visit

Debre Birhan Selassie (The Enlightening of Trinity) It was founded in the late 17th century by Iyasu I, but the building had to be rebuilt after fire and lightning. Most other churches in Gondar were destroyed by the Dervish of Sudan; Debre Birhan Selassie escaped because it was protected by brave bees. The walls contain biblical stories, depicting several scenes of the life of Christ and various saints. Some of the scenes are brutal, beheadings are depicted with bloody detail, and the devil also made it to the colorful walls.

Overnight Haile Resort Gondar

Day 06 Fly Gondar to Lalibela

After breakfast you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Lalibela. You will be met upon arrival and taken to your Hotel. After lunch you will Visit

Bete Golgotha‑Mika’el: a twin‑church complex marking the most sacred area, featuring the Selassie Chapel within Bete Golgotha said to house the tomb of King Lalibela and striking carved reliefs of saints inside Bete Mika’el

Bete Maryam: possibly the oldest church in the site, with an intricately painted ceiling depicting biblical scenes and windows symbolizing the Trinity and crucifixion

Bete Meskel: a small chapel carved into the courtyard of Bete Maryam, the “House of the Cross”

Bete Denagel (House of the Virgins): an intimate, grotto‑like chapel adjacent to Bete Maryam, reputed to commemorate fifty Christian nuns martyred in late antiquity

Bete Medhane Alem: the largest free‑standing monolithic church in the world, shaped like a Greek temple. Inside, dozens of columns support the vaulted ceiling, and the polished stone floor reflects shafts of light from high‑aperture windows. In one corner stand three symbolic empty graves for the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Later in the afternoon, you’ll visit the western group’s standalone masterpiece:

Bete Giyorgis (Church of Saint George): isolated on a sloping rock terrace to the southwest of the village, this church is carved in the shape of a perfect cross and often considered the most elegant of all 11. It stands in a sunken pit and is reached via tunnels and trenches

Overnight Maribela Hotel Lalibela

Day 07 Fly Lalibela to Addis Ababa

After breakfast, you’ll spend the morning exploring the remaining rock hewn churches of Lalibela like:-

• Bete Gabriel‑Rufael (House of Archangels Gabriel and Raphael)
• Bete Marqorios (St. Mercurius/Mark the Evangelist)
• Bete Emmanuel (House of Emmanuel)
• Bete Abba Libanos (House of Abbot Libanos)

These southeastern cluster churches, carved into volcanic rock, showcase exceptional Aksumite architectural features and intricate decorative motifs unique to Lalibela, After visiting these sacred sites, you’ll be transferred to Lalibela Airport to catch your flight back to Addis Ababa. You will be met upon arrival and at the evening Attend a folkloric dinner featuring a variety of traditional Ethiopian dishes. Enjoy captivating performances from Ethiopia’s diverse ethnic groups as they dance and sing. Cap off the evening with the authentic traditional coffee ceremony, a foundational cultural rite in Ethiopia. Finally you will be taken to the airport for your international flight END OF SERVICE.